


white snow red as strawberries in the summertime

by innsjovide



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Betrayal, Gen, Murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:54:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29507202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/innsjovide/pseuds/innsjovide
Summary: “Don’t... don’t lecture me about duty.” Jianzhu knew nothing of duty. He knew nothing of sacrifice, what Kuruk had paid to clean up his past live’s mess. He had no idea what it was truly like to be the Avatar.AU where Jianzhu murders Kuruk idk it’s late
Relationships: Kuruk & Jianzhu (Avatar), Kuruk/Ummi (Avatar)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	white snow red as strawberries in the summertime

It took all of the strength Kuruk had not to throw up all over him self as he stumbled away from the bar. A pair of girls walked past him and whispered something in hushed tones, most likely about his haggard appearance. Kuruk wanted noting more than to simply fall on his face onto the ground, hard as it was, and sleep, even if it meant loosing what little dignity he had left. It didn’t matter to him, not at this point. He was too tired. 

The worst possible person who could’ve shown up did. Jianzhu- in his pale green robes and undone hair, the pretentious look he always had still plastered to his face- loomed over the water Avatar, a look of disappointment in his eyes. “What are you doing here, Kuruk?” He sighed. He didn’t sound angry, which made Kuruk only feel worse. 

After minutes of trying to collect his thoughts, Kuruk managed to spit out a sentence. “I was out.” He didn’t elaborate, Jianzhu probably knew enough about the situation already, and he didn’t need the man more in his business than he already was. 

Jianzhu sighed and took Kuruk by the forearm, hoisting him up. Kuruk was both taller and more muscular than the earthbender, but it didn’t matter. Jianzhu was in control of the situation. “Come on, we should get you back to the estate. In the right part of town.”

Kuruk couldn’t recall what business they had in this town, or even what town it was. It was in the Earth Kingdom, but that didn’t narrow it down at all. He was pretty certain the city name started with the letter ‘g’- Gaoling or Gangbei or something like that. It didn’t matter- whatever business they had, Jianzhu would clean it up for them and Kuruk could go back to doing things the way he always did them- alone. 

“Look, Kuruk-“ Jianzhu said softly as they walked. “Is this about Ummi? Because...”

Kuruk’s fiancé had only died a few months ago, and the mere mention of her name still brought an aching pain to Kuruk’s heart. Jianzhu didn’t really care about her- he had only met the woman once before her untimely death- yet he spoke her name like she was his to mourn. His companion’s irreverence felt like a fire in Kuruk’s soul. “I don’t want to talk about Ummi.” He growled. 

Jianzhu stepped away from Kuruk. “Alright. We don’t have to talk about Ummi.” He studied the Avatar’s face. “By the way, where have you been all day?”

Kuruk had left the town early to do battle with a spirit in a nearby town. Once he had returned to wherever-they-were, he had headed for the seedy bar district of the town, intending to drink all his pain away and end up in the bed of a person he didn’t recognize, as per usual. He had gotten halfway through his plans when Jianzhu had found him. “I told you. I was out.” 

The earthbender didn’t seem pleased with his response. “You were at the- you couldn’t have. Kuruk, you’re the Avatar! You can’t throw away your life like this! You have a duty!”

Kuruk’s head was spinning, he needed to sit down. When faced with a lack of roadside chairs, he settled on leaning against a signpost, bracing himself to retch. When he had finally caught his breath, he faced his friend. “Don’t... don’t lecture me about duty.” Jianzhu knew nothing of duty. He knew nothing of sacrifice, what Kuruk had paid to clean up his past live’s mess. He had no idea what it was truly like to be the Avatar. 

“You can’t possibly keep this up, Kuruk.” Jianzhu pressed a hand to his temple. “We have a meeting with Lu Beifong in the morning. What will he think of you when he finds out you were out at bars all night, that I had to physically drag you back to the Beifong Estate! This will ruin you!” The man’s voice grew in pitch as he spoke, becoming a shout by the end of his speech.

Kuruk looked down at his friend. “I don’t care.”

Jianzhu looked like he was going to scream. If the man had been a firebender, the air around him would’ve heated up in response to his volatile emotion. “You don’t care that your Avatar career is going to be ruined. The world hates you, Kuruk!” 

Kuruk grunted in response before turning away from Jianzhu. There was nothing Lu Beinfong could do that was worse than what he had already endured. 

“Are you listening to me?!” Jianzhu shouted, no doubt waking up countless sleeping townsfolk. “What have you done to yourself, Kuruk? How did things end up like this?”

“I didn’t want this to happen!” The water Avatar responded in a fit of rage. “This isn’t my fault!”

Jianzhu scanned the face of the man in front of him- dirty and drunken and on the verge of tears, an image so distant from that of the great Yangchen or Salai. “Stop lying to yourself, Kuruk.”

Kuruk fell back to the pole he had been leaning on and put his hand over his eyes, covering his tears. “It’s not my fault.” He kept repeating, the mantra eventually turning into a sobbed whisper. “Jianzhu, you have to believe me. It’s not my fault.” 

The earthbender didn’t immediately respond, making his disappointment clear. “Kuruk, I want to have faith in you. I really do, but you’ve given me nothing to have faith in. You’ve fallen far, Kuruk. Maybe... maybe it’s time the cycle started over.”

“What the fuck.” Was the only response Kuruk could muster. “Are you- You want to fucking kill me!” He stepped backwards, away from Jianzhu. 

The earthbender seemed to flinch at Kuruk’s words. “Not necessarily... it’s just-“

“Just what, Jianzhu?!” Kuruk shouted. “Am I not good enough for you anymore?” 

“You’re not good for the world anymore!” Jianzhu accused. “You’re the Avatar, you’re supposed to bring peace and balance and light into the world! You’re supposed to work with world leaders and help the people of the nations! Instead you’re out here, in the slums of Gaoling, getting drunk off your ass while crime runs rampant across the Earth Kingdom!  
You’ve ignored your duties, the principles of your Avatarhood! The world can’t go on like this!” 

Kuruk stumbled to his feet and stared to walk away from Jianzhu. “I’m going to go to home.” He didn’t know what he meant by the statement, but he could figure that out later. 

“No.” Jianzhu demanded. 

Kuruk turned around to face him. The earthbender had lowered into a traditional bending stance, though which one Kuruk couldn’t recognize. 

“You’re going to fight me.” He said, astonished. “You’re seriously gonna try and fight me. Did you forget that I’m the Avatar?”

Jianzhu didn’t respond. 

Kuruk sighed and put his hand to his temple. “Whatever. Goodbye, Jianzhu. See you later.” Kuruk turned around to continue down the dark street. He hadn’t made it more than a few feet when he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. 

Almost instantaneously, Kuruk fell to his knees. He put a hand on his sternum, where the pain was most sharp. It was becoming more and more clear to him that he had been impaled. 

Jianzhu slowly walked in front of him, still maintaining a sickening level of decorum and grace. He held, with the grasp of his earthbending, a thin, stilettos like blade of earth, still dripping in blood. Kuruk’s blood. 

“I’m sorry it had to come to this, Kuruk.” Jianzhu said calmly as he looked down at his dying friend. “But you’ve cost the world too much. I’ve done a great service to the world today by removing you from it, and I will usher in a new era, the era of your successor.”

Kuruk mustered all his strength to look Jianzhu in the eye. “You bitch.” He barked through haggard breath. “You betrayed me.”

Jianzhu glanced at the weapon floating inches above his palm, then back to Kuruk. “I did. It’s for the good of the world, I assure you.”

Kuruk didn’t have enough breath left in him to respond. He collapsed onto his side, as he took his final breaths. In his final moments, Kuruk was aware of the blood draining from his body, of Jianzhu leaving the area, and of the snow falling around him. It was soft and delicate, not unlike the snow at his home in the north, a home he would never see again.

**Author's Note:**

> If this makes no sense pls know it was written very late at night


End file.
